My Biggest Fear

Last June I was sleeping and I suddenly woke up to a terrible pain in my leg. I thought maybe I was just dreaming, so I went back to bed.

I woke up the next day feeling under the weather, and had a huge welt on my leg. As the week continued I continued not feeling well at all, so I went to the doctor. His diagnosis was that I was poisoned by venom. I was totally bothered by that. To make things worse he gave me referral to a Lyme disease specialist in Seattle in case my health did not improved. Luckily my health did improve but I was left with a terrible fear of spiders.

From then on I always had my brothers or a friend kill a spider for me. One morning I faced a spider crawling in the area where I was straightening my hair. I was left to defend myself because my brothers where at school. My nearest weapon I had to my use was my 285*F hair straightener. I took my hair straightener and compressed the spider in between the sides of it. That little rascal went into the little spider ball and stopped moving. I felt victorious.

Later that evening I had my two best friends, Caitlin and Erin, come over for a girls night. Erin usually knows what's best for me, and knew I needed help over coming my fear of spiders. She offered encouraging words to me, and gave me a Kleenex to pick up the spider. Too bad that little bastard came back to life when I touched him and he started running across the floor. By that time I was standing on my bed screaming and crying, and Erin, the hero she is, killed that spider for me.

To this day I am terrified of spiders. This is why I show you this picture of the cup that says "Can someone braver then me please kill the spider?" Luckily I have great brothers who took care of that for me when they saw trap the next day.

Paparazzi

It has always been a dream of mine to have people know me and want to take pictures of me.

I lied. That has never been a dream of mine because I would prefer to live a simple life then a life of the Rich and Famous.

So while at work today a group of Filipinos came in and asked for a table. In case you where wondering, I love the Filipino people A LOT. Their food, their love, their hospitality. Just everything about them. So having a group walk in is not something I dread at all, nor is it out of the ordinary.

Well the group that walked in where tourists from the Philippines who where leaving the next day. They walked in and two of them stood next to the Statue of Liberty we have in the front and started taking pictures. Then they told Jessica and I to jump in. The next thing I knew, the woman had her arm around me and I was in the picture.

During their dinner, one lady kept on getting up and taking pictures of me and her. As she was leaving she got one last picture of me next to the statue.

I can't say I've been in so many random peoples photos before. And I have really no idea why they kept on taking pictures of me. It's not like I am super tall, or blond, or have the looks of a model. Maybe they just thought I looked like Lady Gaga? Hmmm....

Special Olympics

Red Robin loves their community. One of their yearly events is tip a cop. As co-workers, we are given an opportunity to donate and amount of money to receive a shirt.

I was just wearing my shirt I got this year and noticed a mistake.


As you can see, the shirt advertises the summer sports as Season 2009. All those sweet, hard working athletes will show up to the 2010 games with this on their shirt :(

God knows what's best for me. Always.

I heard an analogy once, that mothers hate seeing their infants getting shots, but they only put them through the pain because they know it will help the baby in the long run. That's how God is. He doesn't enjoy the pain we go through, but he knows it will make us a better person in the long run.

To be honest, I wasn't ever planning on sharing this story on how I ended up at Renton Red Robin, but Katie Rybar told me many of you would appreciate it. It was the trail and pain I went though, but the result brought me a miracle and many wonderful new friendships with those who love God as well.

I've been with the Red Robin Company on and off since I was 16. When I was 18 I was hired as a host at Southcenter Red Robin where I was made a CDT right away and had many fond memories saying my "Hi's and Thank yous" and seating quickly. Life was great! Then we received a new manager, Greg York. He was in charge of the hosts, so we spent many Friday nights telling jokes and working together. I started Cosmetology around then, and graduated the following October. During that time a lot of drama started to happen. I decided I would just find a new job, because I was now a cosmetologist.

During my search for a new job, I kept on feeling like I shouldn't work in a salon. It was bothering me because it was something I went into a lot of debt to learn and something I loved doing. That is when I started exploring new areas of careers, and landed in a job at a funeral home selling life insurance. I was so excited! I wore a suit and carried a brief case. I helped old people, and my paychecks where pretty dang big when I was able to make a sale. We would go to Dick's in a limo, and company formals in 5-star hotels, I even partied with the Christina Gregoire and the former Sectary of State. As I became distracted with the worldly things, I started to forget my relationship I had with God.

For me personally, when I start forgetting about my relationship with God, things are put in my life to humble me. I stopped making sales at my job. The limo broke down so I couldn't take it to get fast food. My manager started being a creeper in such serious ways I am currently trying to figure out a way to report him. Then my back pain began.

I knew I needed to get out of the funeral home and away from my manager. Spending a lot of times on my knees and reading and pondering the scriptures, I decided it was time to go job hunting again. I found my dream salon in Renton, and was offered a position there. My back pain continued so I decided I would go to the doctor before accepting the position. Turns out I have kyphosis and slight scoliosis, which would make a work week of doing hair very unbearable.

My funds where low, physical therapy was not affordable, and I was getting worn out by this trail. Yet I continued placing my trust in the Lord, and serving him and his children instead of only worrying about me, I was given the faith I needed he would deliver me from this trail I certainly did not want to be in.

My mother knew I was unhappy, and decided we needed to go shopping, or retail therapy as I call it. She took me out to lunch, and had me decide where I wanted to go. I was somehow given the impression to go to the landing, (or I was just going through Freckled Lemonade with drawls).

Walking into the restaurant I felt at peace despite the children crying, and the obnoxious soft pop, and the kitchen timers going off. That is when I noticed a familiar person, Greg York. I made the host and my server to go get him, because I was reminded of our friendship and I wanted to catch up with him. He was a manager in training there, and was really happy to see me too! I told him of my situation, and he asked me what I was going to do about it, because apparently I was never one to sit around and let things happen. He invited me to apply at Renton because he was familiar with my situation at Southcenter, and I agreed.

While filling out the application, Greg talked me up to Mike and Kara. Kara came up to me while we where eating, and reviewed my application. She told me she wasn't really hiring, and blah blah blah until she came to the part where I was a CDT. She looked at me and told me she would bring me on if I came back as a CDT and was a host. I quickly agreed and she welcomed me to the team. I had to be hired quick because my three months of not working at Red Robin where coming up later that week. I did all my paperwork the next day on Friday, and had my first shift the following Monday.

My reward for enduring this trail is not only amazing shifts that are paying my school dept and my physical therapy, but more so, the friendships I am starting to develop with my team. They are some of the most amazing people I've ever met who are searching for the same thing as me, which is a relationship with our Creator. I love all of them, even though it's only been a month since I've started. I know I have lives to touch there, and many of my co-workers will be able to touch my life in ways no one else can.

I know this is nothing compared to Job, and his life, but I have a deeper understanding and gratitude for what he went though, and how I am now able to compare it to my life (Kind of. Job did have it pretty rough). I love my Savior. I love my family. I love all of you.